St. Peter’s Desi Krueger stopped everything Mahtomedi shot at her for 96 minutes, including a penalty kick in overtime.
She finally allowed a goal, however, on perhaps the most innocent shot of the rain-soaked night.
Michelle Austin’s slow roller trickled past Krueger with 3:11 remaining in overtime as No. 3 seed Mahtomedi defeated unseeded St. Peter 1-0 in a Class A quarterfinal game at Farmington High School.
The Zephyrs (15-4) will face No. 2 seed Orono (18-2) in the semifinals Nov. 4 at St. Cloud State University.
“St. Peter deserved better,” Mahtomedi coach Dave Wald said. “They got a great goalie, (and) they played smart defense. We didn’t play our best game. … At times we looked good, but (we didn’t make) that extra pass you need, that extra dribble under pressure to make things happen.”
Indeed, Mahtomedi appeared to settle for long, low-percentage shots. The Zephyrs still had multiple good chances, thanks in large part to Austin and sisters Mara and Karleen Yapello.
The first chance came in the 26th minute, when Mara Yapello drove past several St. Peter defenders and crossed the ball. Karleen Yapello headed it toward the net but missed a few feet to the right.
Austin, who has committed to Northern Iowa, attempted three shots on goal in the first 10 minutes of the second half, including a shot on a breakaway that Krueger saved with her thigh. Austin’s shot off a corner kick minutes later was saved by a St. Peter defender. Seconds after that, she sailed a shot over the net.
“They’re our engine,” Wald said of the trio. “All three of them had big goals this year.”
Early in OT, however, it was senior Mackenzie Mason who nearly scored the game-winner, after junior Finna Maixner drew a penalty. Krueger dived to the left corner and stopped Mason’s penalty-kick attempt.
“She made some great saves,” Austin said of Krueger. “The PK, that was really good how she got all the way over to the post. … I thought she was amazing, but obviously she was unlucky.”
She might have been unlucky, but her play kept St. Peter competitive. The Saints had just one shot on goal, and it didn’t come until late in overtime. They played with just one or two attacking players for most of the game and never really threatened.
Mahtomedi, which moved down to Class A this season, is looking for its seventh state title and first since 2008. The Zephyrs are making their first state-tournament appearance since 2013.
For St. Peter (16-3-2), the loss ended an 18-game unbeaten streak.
